Method and apparatus for making envelopes



Oct. 3, 1967 P.WEISSHUHN 3,344,719

A METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING ENVELOPES Filed March 15, 1965 F165FIGS INVENTOR.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 15, 1 965 1967 P. WEISSHUHN 3,

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING ENVELOPES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORUnited States Patent ABSTRACT or THE DISCLOSURE Method and apparatus formaking envelopes from a moving strip of paper unwinding from a roll. Themoving strip cut into individual strips having alternate wide and narrowportions, adjacent strips relatively displaced to bring wide portionsopposite for subsequent gluing, folding, cutting, and subsequentoperations.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for making envelopesfrom an elongated strip of foldable material when the strip is moving inthe direction of its length.

In the manufacture of envelopes it is customary to either cut envelopesections from a sheet of material and to then fold and glue the sectionsinto envelopes or, in some cases, to cut the sections from a singlestrip of material and then move the cut sections to a mechanism thatwill glue and fold the sections into envelopes.

This procedure is extremely costly both as to the wastage of materialand labour and I have found that a considerable percentage of the costof envelopes can be attributed to this high wastage of material andlabour. Roughly speaking, there are about 300 million envelopes useddaily in the United States of America and it is obvious that if a savingof even tenor fifteen percent in materials could be made there would bea considerable saving in the ultimate cost of the envelopes to thepurchaser.

The multipath method of making bags from an elongated strip of foldablematerial moving in the direction of its length is well known and in thismethod it is common to cut the strip of material longitudinally into aplurality of strips with side flaps that are then folded onto the strip.Adhesive is then applied to the folded flaps and the strip is cut intoconvenient sections that are folded to form a bag open at one end.

In essence, my invention utilizes a multipath machine of the type formaking bags wherein the strip of foldable material is cut longitudinallyas inthe manufacture of bags and the side flaps are folded onto thestrip so that adhesive may be applied as required. In my invention thecutting of the strip into envelope sections differs from theconventional bag cutting in that the strip is cut so that an envelopeflap will be formed at the leading edge of the envelope section. Afterthe section is folded to form an envelope closed at the sides andbottom, the flap projects in the same manner as a conventional envelopeflap and I then provide means whereby the flap may be folded back ontothe envelopeto act as an envelope closure. If desired, I provide meanswhereby the trailing edge of the envelope section may be notched toprovide a finger cut out and wherein the envelope flap may be cut into aV-shape to provide a flap similar to conventional envelope flaps.

In drawings illustrating my device:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of an envelope section prior to folding and withthe finger cut out and envelope flap cut off portions shaded.

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 with the side flaps folded.

3,344,719 Patented Oct. 3, 1967 FIGURE 3 is a view of the envelopesection with the back of the envelope folded onto the side flaps.

FIGURE 4 is a view of the completely folded envelope. 1 FIGURE 5 is aplan view of a strip of material showing the longitudinal cutting lines.

FIGURE 6 is a top plan view showing four strips of material in linearalignment and with the side flaps folded.

FIGURE 7 is a diagrammatic side elevation showing a machine modified toproduce envelopes.

With reference now to the drawings, as seen in FIG- URE 1, an envelopein its completely unfolded condition consists of a substantiallyrectangular sheet of foldable material, as for example, paper formed toinclude a cen tral portion comprising the front 1 and back 2 of anenvelope. A pair of flap portions 3 are formed at the sides of theenvelope and these are folded onto the central portion of the envelopesas indicated in FIGURE 2 in the drawings. A suitable glue or otheradhesive 3a is then applied to the exposed faces of the flap portions 3,the back portion 2 then is folded along the transverse fold line 5 toproduce an envelope of the form shown in FIG- URE 3 in the drawings.

With reference now to FIGURE 7 in the drawings I will describe a machinemodified to produce envelopes.

This machine consists of a supporting apparatus indicated generally at 8with a supply roll of flexible material 9 mounted rotatably at one endof the support. A strip 10 of flexible material whose Width isrepresented as W in FIGURE 5 in the drawings, is passed over a guideroller 11 to cutting wheels 12 and 13 which cut the strip 10 into aplurality of individual strips 35, 36, 37 and 38 as represented inFIGURE 5 in the drawings. Each of the strips is composed of alternatenarrow and wide portions 47 and 45 which are displaced relative to eachother to minimize any waste material between adjacent strips. The onlywaste will occur at the shaded portions 39 and 46 at the outer edges ofthe strips 35 and 38. This waste is sucked off through the suctionmechanism 13a in conventional fashion.

The separated strips are then passed to the folding means 14 which foldsthe flaps 3 as indicated in FIG- URES 2 and 6 in the drawings. To bringthe strips into linear alignment with each other, either the strips 35and 37 or 36 and 38 are passed to an auxiliary roller 15 so that thestrips would be linearily displaced by the time they reach the roller11b, since the path from an auxiliary roll 11a directly to 11b isshorter than via the auxiliary roll 15.

The strips are then passed to the draw rollers 17 and a suitable glueapplicator 16 where glue 3a is applied to the folded flaps 3, and to aninner surface of the flap 4 adjacent itsouter edge. It is clear that,for gluing to be accomplished in the manner indicated, the wide andnarrow portions, as but, are uniformly spaced.

The foregoing apparatus is well known in the'art and at this point thestrips could be cut to provide bag sections which would be folded into asimple bag open at one end.

To construct envelopes, the strips are now moved to theseparator device'18 where they are cut along the lines 40 as seen in FIGURE 6 in thedrawings. It will be seen that the cutting of the strips into thesections at the lines 40 whose length is represented by I will provideenvelope sections with an envelope closure flap 4 at the leading edge ofeach section and with the back portion 2 of the envelopes at thetrailing end of each section.

Each individual section is then folded along its transverse fold line 5(FIGURE 6) by means of a conventional folding tool 19 which is carriedby the rotating tool carrier 20. The tool 19 is received within slot 51in a first rotatable folding cylinder 25 so that each section is 3gripped at the fold line 5 in the slot 51 and is folded transversely asit passes beneath a plate 21.

If desired, finger cut outs 43 may be made in the sections by a rotatingtool 24 which extend into slots in thefolding cylinder 25 and which cutout the shaded sections 43 to provide the finger cut outs in the back 2of each section. The finger cut out is thus made substantiallysimultaneously with the transverse folding above. It will thus be seenthat, at the cylinder 25, the sections will be folded at the line 5 withthe back 2 of each envelope glued on the flaps 3 and with finger cutouts 43 cut at the trailing edges if desired.

While each folded envelope is held at the fold line 5 in the slot 51, asecond rotating cutting knife 22 cooperating with a slot 26 in thecylinder 25 cuts out the shaded portions 42 of the flaps 4.

The folded envelopes now are transferred from the first folding cylinder25 to a second folding cylinder 30 by a folding tool 27 which engageswith the envelopes at the line 44 and folds the flaps 4 of the envelopesso that the folds will be gripped in a slot 29 of the second foldingcylinder. At this instant the slot 51 will open to release the bottomsof the envelopes at the fold line 5 and the envelopes can thenbetransferred to a discharge cylinder 31 to be picked up by grippers 32and deposited in stacks 33 on a rack 34. While not illustrated, it willbe obvious that meshing gears would be secured on the shafts of thefolding cylinders 25 and 30 and the discharge cylinder 31 so that thecylinders would be rotated at the correct speeds and there would beconventional mechanism to release the envelopes as they-were transferredfrom one cylinder to the other.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows: 1. In a method of makingenvelopes from a strip of foldable material moving in the direction ofits length, the steps of:

(a) efiecting a longitudinal cut in the moving strip dividing it intotwo adjacent individual strips,

(i) the individual strips having alternate uniformly spaced wide andnarrow portions,

(ii) the wide portions being adapted to be folded to form side flaps ofthe envelope;

(b) folding the wide portions on lines defining side edges of theenvelopes to form the side flaps;

(-c) causing motion of one individual strip relative to the adjacentindividual strip as to align the folded flaps to be opposite oneanother;

(d) cutting the individual strips along transverse cut linesintermediatethe aligned flaps, dividing the individual strips intoenvelope sections,

(i) having a generally rectangular back portion, an outer edge of whichis defined by a transverse cut line aforesaid,

(ii) a front portion between the folded fiaps,

(iii) and a generally rectangular closure flap, an outer edge of whichis defined by a tranverse cut aforesaid;

(e) applying an adhesive to exposed side flap faces, and to an innersurface of the closure flap adjacent the outer edge thereof;

(f) folding each envelope section transversely on a line joining ends ofthe folded flaps adjacent the back aforesaid, and placing the back incontact with the glued side flap surfaces.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein; the envelope sections arefurther cut so that the closure flaps are generally triangular havingapices which, before folding, extend outwards of the front portion.

3. A method as set forth in claim 2 wherein; the envelope sections arefurther cut to provide finger cut outs of the back portion, the furthercutting being effected substantially simultaneously with the transversefolding aforesaid.

4. In an apparatus for making envelopes from a strip of foldablematerial moving in the direction of its length, the combination of:

(a) means continuously to divide the moving strip into two adjacentindividual moving strips,

(i) the individual strips being divided to have alternate uniformlyspaced wide and narrow portions,

(ii) the wide portions being adapted to form side flaps;

(b) a first folding means constructed and arranged to fold the wideportions on lines defining side edges of the envelopes, to form sideflaps;

(a) means to cause motion of one individual strip relative to theadjacent individual strip thus aligning the folded side flaps;

((1) means to cut the individual strips along transverse cut linesintermediate the aligned side flaps,

(i) having a generally rectangular back portion, an outer edge of whichis defined by a out line aforesaid,

(ii) a front portion between the folded flaps,

(iii) and a generally rectangular closure flap, an outer edge of whichis defined by a transverse out line aforesaid;

(e) means to apply an adhesive to exposed faces of the side flaps, andto an inner surface of a closure flap adjacent the outer edge thereof;

(f) a second folding means adapted to fold each envelope sectiontransversely on a line joining ends of the folded side flaps adjacentthe back portion; plac ing side edges of the back in contact with theglued side flap surfaces.

5. A combination as set forth in claim 4; and means to cut a closureflap to generally triangular shape having an apex which, before folding,extends outward of the front portion.

6. A combination as set forth in claim 5, the second folding meanshaving a further cutting means adapted to provide a finger cut out ofthe back portion substantially simultaneously with the transversefolding.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,276,282. 8/ 1918 Swift 93-631,328,011 1/ 1920 Nowick 93-63 1,933,121 10/1933 Rife 9363 2,673,497 3/1954 Heitrnann 93-63 FOREIGN PATENTS 822,932 11/ 1951 Germany.

BERNARD STICKNEY, Primary Examiner.

1. IN A METHOD OF MAKING ENVELOPES FROM A STRIP OF FOLDABLE MATERIALMOVING IN THE DIRECTION OF ITS LENGTH, THE STEPS OF: (A) EFFECTING ALONGITUDINAL CUT IN THE MOVING STRIP DIVIDING IT INTO TWO ADJACENTINDIVIDUAL STRIPS, (I) THE INDIVIDUAL STRIPS HAVING ALTERNATE UNIFORMLYSPACED WIDE AND NARROW PORTIONS, (II) THE WIDE PORTIONS BEING ADAPTED TOBE FOLDED TO FORM SIDE FLAPS OF THE ENVELOPE; (B) FOLDING THE WIDEPORTIONS ON LINES DEFINING SIDE EDGES OF THE ENVELOPES TO FORM THE SIDEFLAPS; (C) CAUSING MOTION OF ONE INDIVIDUAL STRIP RELATIVE TO THEADJACENT INDIVIDUAL STRIP AS TO ALIGN THE FOLDED FLAPS TO BE OPPOSITEONE ANOTHER; (D) CUTTING THE INDIVIDUAL STRIPS ALONG TRANSVERSE CUTLINES INTERMEDIATE THE ALIGNED FLAPS, DIVIDING THE INDIVIDUAL STRIPSINTO ENVELOPE SECTIONS, (I) HAVING A GENERALLY RECTANGULAR BACK PORTION,AN OUTER EDGE OF WHICH IS DEFINED BY A TRANSVERSE CUT LINE AFORESAID,(II) A FRONT PORTION BETWEEN THE FOLDED FLAPS, (III) AND A GENERALLYRECTANGULAR CLOSURE FLAP, AN OUTER EDGE OF WHICH IS DEFINED BY ATRANSVERSE CUT AFORESAID; (E) APPLYING AN ADHESIVE TO EXPOSED SIDE FLAPFACES, AND TO AN INNER SURFACE OF THE CLOSURE FLAP ADJACENT THE OUTEREDGE THEREOF; (F) FOLDING EACH ENVELOPE SECTION TRANSVERSELY ON A LINEJOINING ENDS OF THE FOLDED FLAPS ADJACENT THE BACK AFORESAID, ANDPLACING THE BACK IN CONTACT WITH THE FLUED SIDE FLAP SURFACES.